Story Mapping

Correct Answer: Gently remind the team member of the user persona and ask if they can help surface the connection or relevant user story that aligns with the persona.

In an Agile environment, all team members' ideas should be considered valuable, and therefore they should not be ignored or discouraged, making the answers 'Ignore the suggestion and proceed with the session' and 'Stress the importance of adhering strictly to the persona and discourage such suggestions in the future' incorrect. Also, 'Incorporate the story without linking it to the persona' is incorrect too, since in Agile, all stories should have a connection to the user persona so as to remain user-centric and to provide value to the end user. The best response is to 'Gently remind the team member of the user persona and ask if they can help surface the connection or relevant user story that aligns with the persona'. This answer fosters collaboration, keeps the user at center, and respects the input of all team members.

Correct Answer: Identify the backbone/user activities of the software

The first step in the story mapping process should always be to identify the backbone or user activities of the software. This helps the team gain a high-level view of the entire system and its functionalities. The team discusses and identifies these user activities, which help in creating user stories, the building blocks of story mapping. Starting development of the most important features is not the first step because without understanding the backbone of the system, it's challenging to determine what the 'most important' features are. Similarly, only focusing on the tasks for the initial launch is also not the first step, as it limits understanding and planning of the overall functionality. Discussing pricing and budget constraints is also not the first step as it does not directly contribute to the development of the functionality of the product.

Correct Answer: Focus on the stories that deliver the most value to the customer and are necessary for a viable product.

When focusing on launching a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), the priority should be to select stories that provide the most value to the customer while ensuring the product is viable. This approach aligns with Agile principles, aiming at delivering a product that meets the customer's needs with the least amount of work necessary. Doing so helps to validate the product idea with real users early in the process, enabling the team to iterate based on feedback. The other options are less suitable: covering all features requested may delay the MVP unnecessarily; focusing on ease of development may result in features that don't provide enough value; and prioritizing non-essential, attractive features misaligns with the MVP concept, which seeks to meet the core needs first.